We can all make a change. Together, we’re a union that can work to make things better, on campus and beyond. UCL is yours, so it should be what you want it to be. We’re led by students. That means you’re in charge.

We’re here to make you feel at home. All of our spaces are your spaces. We’re transforming our bars, cafes, fitness and study areas to create the places to make friends and relax. And as a not-for-profit charity, we put anything we earn into making the union better for you.

Driven by drama, sport, art or politics? Students’ Union UCL offers all sorts of ways to discover something that will become a part of who you are. Get up on stage. Be creative. Lead a movement. Push yourself further than you imagined.

University is a big, exciting place. But life isn’t always easy. We’re here to give you support when you need us, care about the things you care about, and fight for you when need someone in your corner. Our job is to make sure you feel supported every day.

Decolonise UCL

Buildings all over our campus are named after eugenicists who today we would call white supremacists.

These consist of the Petrie Museum after Flinders Petrie, the Pearson Building after Karl Pearson and the Francis Galton Laboratory and Lecture Theatre.

These figures forwarded their respective disciplines of archaeology, statistics and biometry by dehumanising and experimenting on those who were not racialised as white. Their ideologies are far reaching and have strong connections to Nazism and British colonialism through Churchill. It is not enough to change the names of these buildings, the twisted ideology and the legacy of racism they have propagated and created must be opposed by Decolonising UCL.

Decolonise Education

What it is

The curriculum at UCL gives a disproportionate weight to male, white voices. This, in turn, results in a learning environment that favours white European students and has resulted in the widely acknowledged BME attainment gap. We think it’s time that UCL reviewed its courses to include a truer representation of the world. Through this campaign we will lobby, not only for diversity on our reading lists, but for taught content to celebrate the achievements of BME scientists, economists, philosophers and so on, as well as ensuring the institution reflects diversity in its staff.

Our goals

The creation of Education Committee sub-group, linking and therefore improving the efficiency of the existing work by Liberating the Curriculum, Race Equality Charter Mark, the Union and other key stakeholders

Policy instated ensuring that the curriculum is diverse across the institution and supporting staff in reforming their programmes

Creation of a toolkit for Student Academics Reps to provide them with practical advice on challenging their curriculum

Decolonise the Mind

What it is

The white-centric environment in our universities is having a negative impact on BME students’ mental health, confidence and motivation. Our research with the Heads Up campaign revealed that BME students are less likely to use the support services available due to a lack of understanding of the cultural issues they face, and the under-representation and visibility of BME academics can further impact BME students’ sense of belonging here. Through this campaign, we aim to push for greater cultural understanding during delivery of support services such as mental health/wellbeing provision and mentoring to create a more inclusive campus culture.

Our goals

The Welfare and International Officer and Student Support and Wellbeing to hold self-care workshops for BME students

For Student Psychological Services staff and Student Support and Welfare advisors to receive additional training in supporting students from oppressed backgrounds

Decolonise the Institution

What it is

As well as specific areas for change, there is much work to be done in ensuring that the staff and students are committed to changing the legacy of racism at UCL. We want to help you understand and connect with existing initiatives at UCL that are doing good work to challenge this, giving you funding opportunities to make long-standing changes to the world around you.

Our goals

The development and delivery of Zero Tolerance-style workshops for students on identifying and challenging everyday racism

We can all make a change. Together, we’re a union that can work to make things better, on campus and beyond. UCL is yours, so it should be what you want it to be. We’re led by students. That means you’re in charge.